A Love Among Shadows
by forgotten-snow
Summary: One shot, outlining Fugen's search for Taikoubou after the battle with Jyoka. (Crap... I hate summaries...)


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Disclaimer: I do not own Taikoubou and Fugen Shinjin (though I would like to). The genius behind Houshin Engi is Fujisaki Ryu (All hail the author!!!) This fic has Fugen x Bou assumed, anyone uncomfortable with BL please take note. Constructive criticism would be very much appreciated. Flames are deleted promptly.

This is my first ever fic...

It's a spin-off from the manga of Houshin Engi.

It picks up from the ending when Taikoubou/Fukki left the senins to explore the world, and surmises - what if Fugen decided to look for Bou-chan himself.

I know this plot must have been like repeated countless of times among fanfics, but I couldn't resist adding one of my own. Also, this is done with my minimal knowledge of Japanese, considering I read HE in Chinese. Hope it is comprehendible

Anyway, any form of review would be appreciated.

Now..... enjoy

forgottensnow

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**A Love Among Shadows**

J'ai rêvé tellement fort du toi –

j'ai tellement marché, tellement parlé, tellement aimé ton ombre qu'il ne me reste plus rien de toi –

il me reste d'être ombre entre les ombres, l'ombre qui viendra et reviendra dans ta vie ensoleille.

- **Robert Desnos** (_Inscription on a monument honouring those deported during Nazi France_)  
  
I have dreamed vividly of you –

I have walked with, spoken to, loved your shadow so often and so much that nothing else remain of you –

nothing remains for me but to be a shadow among shadows, the shadow who will come and come again into

your sun-drenched life.

A solitary figure shuffled among the quiet streets. The gloomy sky and cold weather tinged his sky blue hair with depression. Bleak sapphire eyes devoid of life scanned through the passing people as it has always done since time immemorial. His heart grew colder as uncertainty and disappointment ate up the last shreds of hope.  
  
It had been about 2 millennia since Fugen left Akukan to look for Taikoubou, or Fukki, whichever is he now known as. He was still puzzled by the transformation, but yet he knew deep down that the boy he loved was very much alive in that body still. He felt it, that day the Houshin Dai was unsealed. That fleeting moment before all hell broke loose between Bou- chan and Jyoka  
  
He first arrived on Earth during the Qi dynasty after hearing rumours of Taikoubou's involvement in its politics. However, subsequent inquiries made him realise that he missed Taikoubou, who decided to leave Qi for newer places, by a few days. A few clues turn out to be a muddle of red herrings and dead ends as he followed Taikoubou's trail of trickery through the Silk Road, ending up in Europe and then migrating to the Americas. It was then Bou-chan disappeared into thin air, without a trace. Disheartened, he decided to roam the world, hoping to bump into the one haunting his dreams. Centuries turned into millennia, but there was no sign of the jerk anywhere. Just faceless passers-by on nameless streets of his search for him.  
  
He aimlessly wandered into a café. Warm and alive, a contrast from the dark streets of the city. Fugen ordered a cup of warm coffee and sat silently by the window overlooking the streets. As the sky grew darker, raindrops started to fall like large teardrops, splattering on the window pane, drenching the land and the hearts of people with its sorrow.  
  
"Where are you, baka?" he whispered as he took another sip of his coffee, savouring the bitter taste. He closed his eyes as he breathed in the aroma of freshly brewed coffee only to feel tears slowly forming, dripping down his cheeks and into his coffee. The taste of his tears mingled with the acrid bitterness of his sugarless beverage as he could feel his sorrow deepening. He felt as if his soul was being battered and thrown into a violent sea of sorrows, drowning slowly in the cold waves.  
  
He wished that he could forget. But centuries of life on earth, passing faces and the many friendships forged were not enough to erase the mark in his memory called Taikoubou. He still longed for the day that he could feel his presence again, the day he could feel his lips against his, the feathery touch of his fingers against the nape of his neck. He shuddered involuntarily as he recalled the long-forgotten sensations.  
  
He wanted to be angry at him for leaving him all alone. But he never found the strength to. He could never be angry at the baka. The sight of a peach or smelling its sun-kissed scent would make him smile and evoke memories that lifted and broke his heart at the same time. He was a fool. A fool for love.  
  
Gently, the rain quietened to a patter, and then it stopped. A rainbow shone among the drab, faceless buildings of the city. There was hope in the horizon. Every day presented new hope to him. He would take forever to find his beloved if it was necessary. Neither time nor the world could stop him.  
  
"Maybe today," He whispered to himself as he smilingly gathered his coat and stepped out into the newly-washed streets with a new hope in his heart.

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End file.
